SIR: Owing to the exigencies of the service, the
following-named hospitals in Richmond will be temporarily closed and the
patients transferred to the hospitals herein designated: General
Hospital No. 1 and Winder Hospital, patients to be transferred to
Jackson Hospital; Howard's Grove Hospital, patients to be transferred to
Chimborazo. The property pertaining to these hospitals (No. 1, Winder,
and Howard's Grove) will be carefully examined, and such repairs made as
are necessary, and packed away for future use at the respective
hospitals, placed in charge of a guard under the direction of the
surgeons in charge of those hospitals. You are instructed to communicate
with Colonel Stevens and ascertain if he can employ the negroes now in
the hospitals about to be temporarily closed on <ar60_1198> the
fortifications or on some light duty, with the understanding that they
be returned to these hospitals when their services are again required.
The matrons will be retained. The medical officers attached to these
hospitals will be assigned to other duty. As regards Winder Hospital, it
is deemed advisable to pull down every alternate building, in order to
give free ventilation and to secure them from entire destruction by
fire. The buildings thus torn down can be re-erected in the fine grove
adjoining the division of Surgeon Dudley. Very respectfully, your
obedient servant,